Gigantic Contest-Winning Backlit Mural Unveiled at MGM Grand, Las Vegas

Winner of the 2016 Design N' Gather competition announced at HD Expo's "Party by the Pool"

The unveiling of the gigantic, robot-produced, mosaic mural at MGM Grand’s Las Vegas “Wet Republic” day club during HD Expo 2016 turned out to be one of the most successful events experienced within the architectural & design (A&D) community. 

Partner companies Bostik Inc. and Artaic Innovative Mosaic have been planning the event, including a focused advertising, public relations and social media program to a very precise demographic. “We wanted to get the most enthusiastic mosaic design people, both those who work professionally with these materials, and those who are simply mosaic aficionados, to enter the competition,” stated Scott Banda, Director of Marketing & Business Development for Bostik. “This strategy ultimately proved to work out very well!”

Contestants were asked to create designs to be produced using glass mosaic tiles, robotically assembled using Artaic’s patented Tessera™ robotics and Bostik’s state-of-the-art, translucent Dimension® Rapidcure™ glass-filled grout. “The only creative parameter was that the design had to embody the theme, “Essence of Las Vegas,” stated Dr. Ted Acworth, Founder & CEO of Artaic. “We wanted the contestants to let their imaginations run wild.”

Run wild, indeed. Hundreds of talented mosaic designers submitted their most innovative and creative design ideas. These ultimately were presented to a handpicked panel of judges consisting of well-known architects, designers, trade magazine press and tile industry professionals. The top ten finalists were selected… the winning mural design was produced and installed on an outside wall of the MGM Grand, Las Vegas and finally… unveiled at HD Expo’s legendary “Party By The Pool” celebration in front of thousands of hospitality design professionals.

Dr. Ted Acworth, along with Scott Banda, co-emceed the unveiling ceremony, introducing all the finalists. At sunset, the winning design was finally displayed, and quickly backlit to further exhibit the amazing artistic and unique visual characteristics. The winning designer, Nicole “Nikki” Kohri, was there to receive her grand prize: a round-trip vacation for two to Paris. Ted Acworth commented, “We work with some of the most advanced architectural design professionals across the globe, and clearly, Nikki is a budding star!” Joyen Vakil, Senior Vice-President of Design & Construction for MGM Resorts International added, “Ms. Kohri’s design creation fits in perfectly with the overall design theme of our Wet Republic. It’s visually engaging, fun, and very innovative!”

Elated and somewhat humbled, Nicole Kohri stated, “I cannot express how grateful I am for this opportunity. I cannot stop smiling and am still shocked to have won. It was so magical watching everyone look up at the mural and touch the tiles with a big smile.”

Ms. Kohri intends to take her sister, Rachelle, along with her on the grand prizewinner’s Paris sojourn. “My family is so proud; we really had a wonderful time at the Party by the Pool Celebration. The Bostik and Artaic teams are amazing, and made us feel so welcomed and appreciated. Hearing all those compliments just melts my heart… and, motivates me to pursue my true passion, which is mosaic design. This wonderful experience has definitely opened a window of opportunity for me, and I will always be grateful!” 

Scott Banda added, “As most people in the A&D community now know, together with Artaic, our main goal with the Design ‘N Gather competition is to bring back the ancient, time-tested art of mosaic mural design and celebrate the many talented design professionals that greatly contribute to the aesthetic world around us. But in doing so, if we can discover a bright, young talent such as Nicole Kohri, someone who has the potential to make a difference within the design sector moving forward, it is our honor, pleasure… and, commitment to do so!”

During HD Expo show hours, Bostik had an enormous blimp flying over the city of Las Vegas, to reinforce the company’s strong, global branding program. Additionally, at the Party By The Pool, Bostik leased out the VIP section of six bungalows, complete with closed circuit TV showing both Bostik and Artaic focused videos.

The show must go on! Ms. Kohri will join the Bostik team at the AIA Convention 2016 (May 19-21) in Philadelphia for further recognition of her achievement. She will be formally recognized at the Bostik sponsored The Party event which will take place Friday evening, May 20th, just prior to the introduction of the Bacon Brothers band’s musical set. Bostik will again feature the works of the top ten finalists at its Gallery Lounge inside the exhibit hall. Banda concluded, “This contest is an industry first, and the enthusiasm for it amongst the design community is amazing. People loved our gallery in Las Vegas and we are excited to show everyone this truly innovative mosaic design gallery again in Philadelphia!”

 

About Artaic Innovative Mosaic

Artaic designs and fabricates custom, award-winning tile-work. Combining modern technologies with an established art form, Artaic modernizes the creation of architecturally compelling mosaics. Through fast design iterations, free sampling and robotic production in the USA, the process of customization is made as simple and painless as possible. Artaic’s Tessera™ software enables their skilled design team to easily collaborate with the robotic manufacturing systems, easing the creation of modern mosaics by increasing design flexibility and decreasing lead times and costs. Artaic’s Mass-Customization technologies enable the production of large-scale, American-made works right from their studio in Boston’s Innovation District.

More information: Artaic Innovative Mosaic